Eichaed eyans



(No Model.)

RpK. EVANS.

LEVER FOR STARTING AND MOVING CARS. No. 256,829. Patented Apr. 25,; 1882.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

ROBERT K. EVANS, OF DOVER, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND RICHARD EVANS, JR, OF SAME PLACE.

LI IVER FOR STARTING AND MOVING CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 256,829, dated April 25, 1882.

I Application filed March 11, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, ROBERT K. EVANS, of Dover, in the county of Olmsted and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and usefui Improvements in Levers for Starting and Moving Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of carstarters which are adapted to he applied to the flange of the car-wheel.

In loading and unloading cars with various kinds offreight-such as live stock, grain, coal, lumber, &c.it is often necessary to move the separate cars some little distance by hand [5 from one part of the yard to another.

Y Theobject of the prcsentinvention is to provide a device for starting and moving cars to be applied to the flangeof the car-wheel, which will clutch or grasp the flange when force is applied for the purpose of starting or impelling the car, but which will slide freely on such flange when force is not so applied, so that, however fast the car is moving, the operator, walkingbehind and supporting the free end of the lever in his hand, may from time to time apply new impulses to the moving car by simply lifting on the end of the lever, and by use of which a single person may not only start a loaded car, but move it at a walking gait any 0 reasonable distance.

. By use of the ordinary pinch-bar a car may be started with facility, but can be moved only very slowly, so that after it is started by this means it has been customary to call to 5 gether a sufficient number of workmen to push it by their direct force if it is to be moved farther than a few feet; and where devices adapt ed to he applied to the flange of the wheel have been used they heretofore have been so con- 0 structed that though they may be used with safety for starting the car they are not adapted for moving the car along, for the reason that, the opposite surfaces of the clutch being parallel to each other and adapted to fit the 4 flange of the wheel, when the wheel is revolving with any rapidity it is liable to carry the lever up against the end of the car and break it or do other injury; and my invention consists in a lever provided atone end with aclutch or grasp for the flange of the car-wheel, so constructed, as hereinafter described, that when the operator is lifting on the lever it will clutch said flange, but atother times slide freely thereon; and it also consists in making the opposite bearing-points of the clutch soinewhatinclined or \vedge'shaped, so that when the clutch is cast or made in one solid pieceit will nevertheless be adapted to fit different size flanges of various car-wheels.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and m which similar letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure 1 is a side or face View of a device embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a plan or edge view. Fig. 3 is a section on line a: w of Fig. 1, and 6 Fig. at is a section on line 3 y of Fig. 2.

In the drawings, A represents the lever, which is preferably made of wood, and secured to the clutch B by bolts 0!, the back of the clutch being provided with flanges a, forming a socket, in which the lever A fits. The opposite bearing-surfaces, b and b, of the clutch, which fit upon the flange ot' the wheel, are both curved or rounded, so as to present round surfaces to the flange of the wheel, and thereby permit the clutch to slide freely on the flange, except when the free end of theleveris raised by the hand of, the operator.

The bearing-point bis preferably made conical on its surface, facing the bearing-surface or lip 11, and the bearing-surface of the lip b is preferably made curved, about as shown by the dotted line 0 in Fig. 1, or as indicated by section in Fig. 4. The clutch or bearing-points thereof on the flange of the wheel, it will be 8 observed, are to one side the central line of the lever, so that when force is appliedto the lever the tendency thereof would be to turn or twist the clutch 011' the flange. This'difficulty I obviate by extending the plate or flat part of the clutch beyond the lip b, as shown at (J,

so as to bear against the side of the car-wheel flange, and thus prevent the turning or twisting of the lover.

The base of the lip b facing the point D is 5 made wedgingorinclined,as shown atc, sothat, in connection with the inclined or conical surface of the point b, the clutch may be adapted to fit on large or sma l flanges, as occasion may require.

The central portion of the plate or flat part of the clutch is somewhat dished or hollowed IOO out, as indicated by the dotted line d in Fig. 2, and at d in Fig. 3, so as to fit the flange more perfectly. The conical bearing-point I) should be located at the upper extremity or corner of the clutch, and the lip I) centrally at its rear extremity, as shown in the drawings.

I deem it preferable to insert one of the bolts a through the center of the bearing-point b, as, if the clutch is made of cast-iron, such point will be strengthened by the wrought-iron bolt.

The clutch may be made of cast iron or steel, or, if preferred, of malleable or wrought iron; and the handle may be made of wood and attached in the manner shown or by other suitable means, or it may be made integral with the clutch it the clutch is made of wroughtiron or steel. If the clutch is made of castiron, the point I) should be chilled.

I am aware that heretofore car-starters have been-made provided with an adjustable twopart clutch adapted to fit on the flange of the car-wheel and havingparallel bearing-surfaces, as shown in the Patent No. 164,504, granted Woodworth and Fredrichs, June 15, 1875, and I therefore disclaim the same as being no part of my invention.

What I claim is- 1. The car-moving lever provided with a clutch on its end having rounded bearing-surfaces adapted to fit on the flange of the car- 0 wheel, so that said clutch will slide freely thereon, except when force is applied to the end of the lever, substantially as specified.

2. The car moving lever provided with clutch B, made in one piece and having bear- 5 ROBERT K. EVANS.

Witnesses:

HELEN M. EVANS, It. EvANs, Jr. 

